I joined an online dating site called okcupid back in the Spring, and have probably gone out with 10 girls from the site. In retrospect, I think online dating is going to set some people back in terms of their ability to approach women and exude confidence because when you're talking to someone online, those elements just aren't as significant. The other reason why online dating is frustrating is because not only are there more men than women on these sites, but the amount of hot women is quite limited.

First, the medium of interaction just seems way too impersonal for its objective. How much do you really know about a person before you've met them? How can actually tell if there is a good vibe going when you aren't in a person's presence? These are pressing questions because online dating essentially uses e-mails and instant messaging as that platform that substitutes approaching and engaging girls in bars. Some girls, after having communicated with them for a number of weeks even, would eventually say "I just don't feel we have that spark," despite the fact we had never met. There's a rough sketch of a person and there's an intimate portrait and online dating expresses the former, while not even approaching the latter.

The other problem inherent in online dating is that simply put there aren't that many attractive girls. This is probably due to the pretty obvious reality that girls who are highly sought out by men do not need to bother with online dating. The majority of girls on these sites will post shoulder shots of themselves as a way of hiding the fact they are overweight. The girls who are quite attractive get so many messages, it's really hard to separate yourself from the rest of the guys, and over time, it's quite easy to just give up altogether. When you're in a bar, at least it's exhilirating to be talking to someone, opening up a set, yet the same cannot be said for writing an e-mail. It becomes a chore instead of a challenge.

Probably 80% of the girls I met from online dating had deceptive photos of themselves. In most of these cases, the girls were significantly different in terms of their body type from what I had expected from their photos. And I'd also like to mention that most girls I met were quite serious about having a relationship and seemed to seek security rather than just have fun.

If you struggle to get dates, then online dating is a good bet. You will go on dates, but don't expect the person you see to accurately resemble the person you saw on your computer screen.

I'm going back to the basics of picking up girls in bars. At least I'll get to see them in the flesh, and I believe it's the way nature intended it to be.